- Verizon CEO Confident He'll Get Lost DSL Customers Back - Not sure about FiOS expansion past initial 18 million homes passed...Today
-
Verizon is struggling when it comes to losing DSL customers, for a number of reasons we discussed earlier this week. But Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg seems confident that they'll be seeing lost landline and DSL customers again at a later date. "We re now at the point where there s enough critical mass in our broadband strategy that we re able to offset access line losses," he told investors this week. "Once we go into an area with FiOS, we win back the household," he insists. Of course Verizon may not pursue FiOS in many rural areas, where deployment is less profitable. Only next year, after Verizon hits their 18 million homes passed mark, will the telco decide what to do next with FiOS.
- Obama Urges Congress To Delay DTV Transition - Complains of 'insufficient support' and 'woefully inadequate' funds...Today
-
Several readers have written in to note that President-elect Barack Obama is urging Congress to delay the digital TV transition. This comes just a week after the government's program to subsidize digital converters ran out of money, forcing those interested in digital transition coupons to sign onto a waiting list. According to Obama, there is "insufficient support" for the problems consumers can expect to encounter after the February 17 switchover. The Obama camp also called funds for the switchover "woefully inadequate."
read comment(s)
- Thursday Evening Links -Yesterday
-
Broadband Bullies Shouldn't Benefit From Stimulus huffingtonpost.com
Firm Pairs DSL and Cable Lines for Super Fast Broadband yahoo.com
IEEE Confirms Baseline for BPL Standard cable360.net
Skype thrives amid tough economy cnet.com
Vietnamese government mandates Open Source theinquirer.net
Sony DSC-G3, a WiFi Camera with a Web Browser ubergizmo.com
Lenovo to lay off 2,500 theinquirer.net
read comment(s)
- Taxing ISPs to Prop Up Failing Newspapers? - A different tax on your bill for each collapsing industry...Yesterday
-
We recently noted how the RIAA has created an entirely new organization tasked with pushing the idea of collective music licensing, applying a $5-$10 "piracy tax" to consumer broadband bills, regardless of whether you pirate or not. The idea has several critical problems, not least of which being that it rewards the music industry for their failure to adapt, but it also opens the door to every single industry impacted by piracy (music, film, porn, gaming, literature) to begin demanding their own tax.
Mike Masnick at Techdirt notes that it didn't take long for other collapsing business models to start putting their hand out. Canadian website Macleans recently published an article suggesting that because it's getting harder to make money in the news business, failing newspapers should be compensated for their losses by applying an ISP tax. Of course the ISPs won't pay it, you will. From the report:
The only solution I see is a return to some sort of subscription model. Except it won t work if it is up to individual papers or magazine or site
- CES: Dish, Verizon Showcase Remote DVRs - Dish integrates Slingbox, while Verizon offers remote DVR scheduling...Yesterday
-
Dish Network today unveiled the SlingLoaded HD DuoDVR ViP 922, a new Dish DVR that comes with embedded Slingbox technology, allowing users to watch their home TV programming on the road via smartphone, PC or laptop. Somewhat less interestingly, Verizon announced new FiOSTV DVR functionality that lets users schedule DVR recordings via their Verizon phone. Not to be outdone, AT&T drops us a line to remind us that U-verse has included remote DVR features via Web since 2006 and cell since 2007 at no charge -- Verizon's remote programming requires you pay extra for their Home Media DVR service.
read comment(s)
